Blessed are the poor Where are the poor today?

Society of St Vincent de Paul  Founded in 1833 by Frédéric Ozanam  Now has nearly one million members all over the world.  Visiting the poor where they are  “No work of charity is foreign to the Society”

Jesus says: “As often as you do it to the least of one of these, you do it to me”. (Mt. 25, 31-46) SVP members hear this message, and the instruction given by Ozanam: “Go to the poor”, and act on it. In the letter of James, we hear, “Faith without good works is dead”. Gospel values

 In Syria, Sudan, Haiti  In the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Afghanistan  Anywhere in the world suffering from violence or natural disasters Where are the poor?

 There are 3.6 million children living in poverty in the UK today. That’s 27 per cent of children, or more than one in four.  There are even more serious concentrations of child poverty at a local level: in 100 local wards, for example, between 50 and 70 per cent of children are growing up in poverty. CPAG figures, Where are the poor

Where are the poor?  All around us  Canterbury District population: 135,278  Children: 28,340  Number of children in poverty: 4,192  1 child in 7 is living in poverty Canterbury City Council figures

Types of poverty and need  Being unemployed can be poverty  Having a disability, or living with someone who has a disability can be poverty  Inability to organise a home is poverty  Inability to cope with a problem is poverty  Being a leader or member of a single-parent family can be poverty  Being unable to read or write is poverty

 Homelessness  Low income, erratic employment  Single parents raising children alone  Redundancy or bankruptcy  Illness, especially sudden sickness or serious injury  Debt  Becoming a refugee  Addiction Immediate causes of poverty

 Deserving poor / undeserving poor  Shirkers / strivers  Fraud, wastage, large families, all widespread among the poor Stigmatisation of the poor

 Most people unemployed find jobs again within a year  60% of households in poverty have an adult member in paid work  Only 3% of welfare benefits go to people who are unemployed  Alcohol consumption is low among the unemployed, rises greatly up the income scale  The proportion of tax going on welfare has not risen in the past decade Myth-busting

 We also seek to identify the causes of poverty and work with the Vincentian Family, the Catholic Church, other Christians and all people of good will, to shape a more just and compassionate society, which promotes the rights, responsibilities and development of all people, a culture of life and a civilization of love reflecting the Kingdom of God. SVP Mission statement

Justice brings peace